The Homecoming 94.

Castle Lé Dic...

Sir Percavelle Lé Dic wakes up. He finds that he's in his bed, in the suite he's been using here while staying in his family's home.
The former earl of Lé Dic can't remember falling asleep, all he can remember is getting angry, and overturning tables and benches last night when his highness, prince Helbenthril Raendril told him what really happened to his younger brother, Maxiss.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che was all set to draw his sword, and cut down anyone who got in his way, when all of a sudden he found himself blacking out.
That pointy eared thief must of put me to sleep with one of his devilish spells, sir Percavelle Lé Dic thinks to himself, the former paladin remembering what happened to his brother again, starts to get angry once more.
He rolls over, and is about to hop out of bed, when all of a sudden he notices that his niece Linara is sitting on the chair to one side of his bed.
"They're here uncle" says lady Linara Lé Dic, who after a brief pause, quietly adds "The Harkonin's".
The former knight of the first class looks at the sad, forlorn looking face of his niece, who found out at the same time that he did, that her father Maxiss Lé Dic wasn't killed in battle against the Harkonin army in a border clash nearly two years ago, as previously thought.
But was actually killed by his own squire, and relative by marriage, Jarrod Milburn. Under the orders of both Jarrod and Linara's grandfather, lord Kievar Milburn.
The anger quickly drains away from sir Percavelle Lé Dic as he looks at his sad little niece. Then remembering who he is, and what he is. The most famous knight not just here in the eastern region of Druvic. But also in the entire kingdom.
Well, that's how he likes to see himself. Though in this case, his over inflated opinion of himself, is actually correct.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che clears his throat, then in a cheerful tone he doesn't really feel, but putting it on for the benefit of his young niece, he says to her "So the Harkonin rabble has turned up have they?".
Lady Linara Lé Dic nods her head yes "Good, good" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues on with "Bout time those louts showed up" followed by "So i can give them a damn good drubbing once and for all".
Sitting up in bed, the one time earl of the Lé Dic fief says "Let us go and face that piss poor excuse of a baron, and tell him what's, what" he then adds "Wot". The former paladin who has been demoted in rank in his knightly order, then says "We face our enemies head on Linny" he then asks his niece "Do you know why we do?".
"Why uncle Percy?" asks the young girl who is the lady of the fief "Because we're Lé Dic's and that's what we do, that's why" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who then calls out for servants to attend him.
The door opens, and the castle armourer and his assistant enters, and as lady Linara gets up to depart, her uncle quietly tells her "Stay and help your old uncle put on his armour Linny" with a grin upon his face, the former earl of Lé Dic "Sometimes I'd put on my helm backwards if someone as smart as you wasn't around to help me wot".
"Oh uncle" says Linara Lé Dic with a shake of her head, and a smile forming on what was previously a sad looking face.
The young girl hops off her chair, and hurries over to the bed and hugs her uncle the famous knight. Then she along with the two armourers, help the former paladin to don his full suit of heavy plate armour. And to arm him with his vast array of weapons.
The heavily armoured knight then drags out a large leather bag from beneath his bed, and has the armourer and armourer's assistant carry the heavy bag, that's also full of weapons. Most of them exotic in nature, that the local nobility would never use.
They head off, making their way down and out of the main keep of castle Lé Dic.
Down in the main hall of the central keep, there's a number of people waiting for them. Most important of whom is lady Hollis Duc de Laér who is the governess of Linara Lé Dic.
Along with lady Marsaé Duc de Laér who is sir Percavelle's ex wife.
The two nobleborn sisters are silent, as are the others who have been waiting in the main hall of the central keep, as they follow the lady of the fief, and the former earl of the fief outside.
Side by side, uncle and niece head to the southern side of the massive castle that's their ancestral home, when a runner informs them that prince Helbenthril Raendril and the mercenary ranger Riley Hait are heading to the top of the south wall, above the main gates there.
Lé Dic castle is crowded compared to what it usually is. With the townsfolk from Massic now within the castle, as well as those from other nearby towns and villages, not to mention farms. Who have come to the massive castle, to get away from the invading army from the Harkonin fief.
Every able bodied person, even children have been tasked to do jobs in the defence of castle Lé Dic. And every single one of them stop and look at the young girl, who is the lady of the fief. And her uncle, the famous sir Percavelle, who is a former earl of the fief. As the two pass by on their way to the south wall, followed by an ever growing crowd.
People cheer for the uncle and niece, others call out blessings to the two nobles, who are basically all that remains of the Lé Dic family, with the exception of Linara's mother, who is locked up in a secure room in one of the towers in the castle. A woman gone mad after the death of her husband Maxiss. Who is tended to by a few select servants.
At the foot of the steps next to the south gate, Lisell Maera waits for the two Lé Dic nobles, when she spots them making their way across the large courtyard, that's essentially a killing ground if an enemy breaches the walls, she looks up to the top of the wall, and nods.
Tamric Drubine nods in return from on top of the wall, then he goes from view as he makes his way along the top of the south wall.
"Glad that you could join us m'lady" says Lisell Maera when niece and uncle get to the steps "And you too Percy" adds the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who then wryly asks the former paladin "You're not going to go nuts again like last night are you Percy".
"Only to those Harkonin's" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in a rather cheerful tone of voice, the teenager from the coast of the Southlands arches an eyebrow, then leads the way up the steps.
"It might stink a bit up there m'lady" says Lis to the young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, she continues with "Depending which way the breeze is coming from". Then the daughter of a street prostitute from the poorer areas of Brattonbury, informs the two nobles following directly behind her "We're waiting for a herald" Lisell Maera continues with "Expect one to come forward to deliver the baron's demands".
Only the nobleborn sisters, Hollis and Marsaé Duc de Laér, and a handful of other nobles, including Marsaé Duc de Laér's current husband. As well as soldiers, and the armourer and his assistant carrying the former earl's large leather bag, are the ones to follow sir Percavelle Lé Dic and lady Linara Lé Dic up to the top of the south wall.
Lis leads the way to where a group are standing directly above the south gates. There Tamric Drubine is with Tovis the war engineer, and Shur Kee the monk.
Dorc da Orc is with them as well, the large ork is leaning back against a merlon, drinking from a barrel of ale, that's when he's not yawning. The ork warleader is not even looking in the direction of the Harkonin army who have set up camp on the south and east sides of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Further along the top of the south wall, Helbe the elven thief and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger can be seen walking this way from the east wall.  The two of them occasionally stop to chat with soldiers along the top of the wall, encouraging them against what they're about to face.
As they walk along the south wall, Linara Lé Dic is too short to see over the merlons, which are quite long across the tops of the castle's walls.
But when they get to a gap along the battlements, and she can see between a couple of merlons. She looks south and sees the enemy for the first time.
Not realising until now how many of them there would be. Especially since these are the one's to south of the castle, there's even more on the east side of the massive castle that's her family's ancestral home.
"There's so many of them" quietly says lady Linara Lé Dic, sir Percavelle Lé Dic snorts, then says "Just a pittance dear" followed by "I do say i can deal to this lot by myself, with just the help of one or two others".
They stop above the south gates, glad that the wind isn't strong, as there's now quite a few troughs along the top of the wall further to the left, filled with human excrement.
Above the south gates, Tamric Drubine slightly bows to the young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, and says to her "Good morning m'lady". "And a good morning to you m'lord" replies Linara Lé Dic.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, nods towards the camp of the Harkonin army, and says "Seems you've got unwelcome guests" Tamric Drubine, who has taken over a lot of the command of the defence of castle Lé Dic, then adds "Let's see what we can do to get them packing, and back across the border where they belong".
"Here, here" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in agreement, as they wait for Helbe the elven thief, and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger to join them above the south gates of the castle.
It's not too long before the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel, and the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen join the rest of them above the south gates of castle Lé Dic.
After Helbe the elven thief quietly says in elven to Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera "There's something we need to explain to you a bit later".
The young elven noble says in common to the Lé Dic uncle and niece "So, it seems we're waiting for a herald to come forward". While Tam and Lis share a look, then they glance at the ranger Hait, who looks a little pensive for some reason.
"It does, doesn't it" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who takes a deep breath, and kind of regrets it, as he gets a whiff of the nearby effluent in one of the troughs. Be that it may, the heavily armoured knight ignores it, and instead says "Hmmm i wonder which fop that Harkonin weasel sends forth to be his mouthpiece?" the former earl of Lé Dic then adds "I do hope it's someone i despise more than usual".
"Someone's in a good mood this morning" murmurs Riley Hait the mercenary ranger in elvish as he looks at the former paladin "The prospect of battle has got him all excited" quietly says Lisell Maera in the same language.
"So your highness, what is thy plans when that Harkonin fat cat sends his orator of deception forward to speak his filthy lies?" asks sir Percavelle Lé Dic, prince Helbenthril Raendril slightly shrugs, then says "Respond i guess".
The elven magic user then looks at lady Linara Lé Dic and says "Or not" followed by "It's not my decision" the young elven noble continues with "It's up to you m'lady, this is your castle and this your fief. We are yours to command lady Linara".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks down at niece, and she looks back at him. The young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, then looks over at her governess, the lady Hollis Duc de Laér. Who nods in encouragement to her.
The nobleborn girl then looks at Lisell Maera, who slightly smiles, and nods as well. Linara Lé Dic looks at Tamric Drubine next, who like Lis, slightly smiles and nods too.
The lady of the fief looks at the elven princeling, who just looks back at her, without making a gesture of any kind.
Then she finally looks back at her uncle, who smiles encouragingly, then nods his full helmed head.
"That's it then" says lady Linara Lé Dic, who then adds "We respond" she looks around at the others gathered above the south gates of the castle, then she asks "What should we say?".
"Tell the cunts to fuck off" says Dorc da Orc who speaks up for the first time, the large ork who has put the ale barrel down now that it's empty, then adds "If not, we gonna fucken kill all them cunts dead".
Not fully understanding all of what the big, burly ork just said, his thick accent, and his deep, growling voice is difficult to understand. Not to mention is speech is liberally peppered with swear words.
Lady Linara Lé Dic got the gist of what he was saying, and the young girl nods in the direction of the ork warleader, then says "What he said" followed by "That's what we'll do" . . . . . .